Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes
by Boomerang Butterfly
Summary: Life, love, happiness, pain and everything in between. A collection of song inspired oneshots centered around our favorite Space Cowboys. Multiple pairings, multiple genres.
1. The Greatest

**Disclaimer: Cowboy Bebop is the creation of Watanabe-sensei. I just own my wild imagination.**

AN: Okay, so here's the first of my short, oneshot CBBB ficlets. The themes range from romance to drama to angst to humor and even parody-and each one is titled after and inspired by a song. Also, a short snip of lyric from each song will be included to give you a little idea of where the plot's coming from. I'm also doing an IY one, so and Inu fans, expect some from me soon. And don't worry, I haven't given up on CIMC! This has just been playing around in my mind.

So, without further ado, here's my first ficlet.

**Title/Song: The Greatest **

**Artist: Cat Power**

**Pairings: Jet/Faye**

**Genre: Romance, General**

**The Greatest**

_Once, I wanted to be the greatest…_

Jet Black had always strived for excellence. Even as a youth, on his high school football team, he gave his all. In college, he studied hard and didn't party as much so he could graduate with honors. Then, as a fledgling detective with ISSP, he had worked to the best he could to bring justice and peace to the streets of Ganymede.

Trouble was, none of his hard work had ever paid off.

His high school football team had counted on him to take them to state finals, but he'd lost the game that would've taken them there. He never did graduate from college to pursue architecture like his dad had wanted. He dropped out two months after the elder Black's death and enrolled in police academy instead. After being promoted to detective only a month after getting the job at ISSP, he thought he was finally on his way up (and fast, too) but a few years in the game and the realization that it was all just a pile of garbage struck him hard-in the form of getting his arm shot off and being betrayed by his best friend and partner.

So, he did what he did last time things got tough-he quit. He told himself it was because the system was corrupt, but some nagging little voice in the back of his head insisted it was because he wasn't cut out for it. He would never rise to greatness. He was the one thing he'd sworn to his father on his deathbed he'd never become.

A _failure._

Several years after leaving his job at ISSP, after meeting the elusive Spike Spiegel, after encountering and nurturing the eccentric hacker Edward, after taking care of the too smart data welsh corgi Ein, after being 'graced' with the presence of the beautiful Faye Valentine, he sat on a dock in Ganymede and just watched the water move with the wind. He thought vaguely back to everything that he had ever reached for and never achieved. He thought of how he hadn't even stopped Ed or Spike from leaving. He thought of how he couldn't, for a long time, shake the feeling that Faye resented him for not trying. And he thought of how he hated that he hadn't tried.

He thought about all of this and everything before-about college and ISSP and Alisa, and it probably would've depressed him had he stewed over it any longer. But he hadn't a chance to.

Rapid thudding of small feet and a muffled "come on Spiegel!" brought a smile to his face. Seconds later, a chubby, blue eyed toddler was standing on unsteady feet by his side and behind her was her beautiful mother. Said woman sat on the opposite side after relinquishing their daughter into his care and lay her head on his shoulder, her violet hair tickling his bare arm. "Whatcha thinking 'bout?" she asked softly. "Stuff," he replied, and took one of her hands in his. She didn't probe, knowing that when the time came, he'd tell her what was on his mind. Instead, she switched the conversation over to dinner. "So, what's for dinner?" Jet smiled and continued to stare at the rippling waves of the water. "I was thinking we could go to Zumbro's on Park Street, if that was fine with you." She laughed a little and patted his hand. "Right…as if we could afford it." It was then he turned to her and smiled, not saying a word, but she understood anyway. Eyes wide, she stared at him in disbelief. "How?" was all she could manage. "I've been saving a little change for a while," he replied, pulling his daughter into his lap where she fell softly with giggle and some indecipherable language. "Ever since you said you wanted to try that new restaurant, anyway." Faye beamed and planted a smooch on his cheek before putting a softer, more affectionate one on his lips. Then, talking to the year old baby girl in Jet's lap, leaned her head back on his shoulder. "Isn't Daddy the greatest?" And all little Spiegel could do was coo in agreement.

It was moments like that that convinced Jet Black that he was, in fact, _not_ a failure.

Okay, so how did you like? It wasn't too specific, since it's so short, but I'll be doing some better ones (I hope) soon. Tell me what you think, of course, read and review, and give me some songs, too! I might just dedicate that chapter to you!

P.S. If you can, listen to this song; it's amazing!

BB


	2. Come Back

**Disclaimer: Um...yeah...it's not mine.**

**AN: Heyah, just another oneshot ready for ya! Hope you like.**

**Title/Song: Come Back**

**Artist: Josh Rouse**

**Pairings: Ed/Ein friendship**

**Genre: General **

Come Back

_I've been waiting for the longest time; I want you to come back…_

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, or Françoise, as she was currently going by at the Internet Café in which she worked, was enjoying her lunch break, humming along to a song that played in the café and reading the paper, when the sudden sharp bark of a dog captured her attention. Her head jolted upright suddenly, amber eyes scanning the window she sat by for the source of the sound. _Sounded just like a corgi_, she thought, and her heart raced sporadically at the thought.

Ein.

Ein was gone. She didn't know where, or what had become of him. All she knew was that, upon returning to her little apartment one day last month, he was gone. How that had happened, she wasn't sure, seeing as her apartment was on the sixth floor, and there was no way he could have opened the window in order to get to the fire escape. Only logical thing he could've done was take the elevator. And, Ein being Ein, he probably did take the elevator. So, assuming he wasn't dead (Ed just had the feeling that he was just too darn smart for that) she searched all the animal shelters and dog pounds in the local areas. Ein was a smart dog, but he couldn't have gone too far, could he?

She had no idea.

Ed's eyes scanned the window once more before she finally made up her mind to actually go outside and investigate. Tucking the paper under her arm and wrapping her half finished sandwich back into its plastic bag, she walked past the net browsing customers and out the door of the café. She glanced up one end of the street as far as her eyes would let her, but no Ein. She glanced down the other end, but still, no Ein. In fact, there was no trace of a dog anywhere on the street.

Had she been hearing things?

Disappointed and melancholy, she pouted and let out a sad sigh. To most people, losing a dog was traumatic enough as it was. Losing Ein, to Ed, was beyond traumatic. It was crucial, in her opinion to find him. And finding him, in the last month, had become her obsession. Of course, had anyone known that she was searching as diligently as she was for and illegal data dog, they'd more than likely try finding him for themselves, and so, she refused to offer an award for the dog. Besides, she didn't think a price should be put upon the head of anything so precious. Ein was family to her, the last of a remnant of a couple of stray cowboys who had roamed the galaxy in search of that one big bounty that would solve everything, and maybe in search of something that none of them had ever really had.

Spike, she knew, was dead. God only knew what happened to Faye. And Jet hadn't tried tracking her down in the last seven years since she left the Bebop. So far, it had only been she and Ein. And now Ein was gone.

Of all the unfortunate things to happen to her.

The sounds of a shrill voice suddenly evaded her thoughts. Ed turned around to see what the problem was and was confronted by a very agitated woman in a blue polka dotted dress. "Shoo, I say!" she screamed, on the verge of panic, at something on the ground. Ed's eyes followed the woman's screaming to a brown lump on the threshold of the café doors. The lump cocked its head to the side, staring up at the lady as if she were crazy, then wagged its tail and turned around to face Ed. Her eyes bulged slap near out her head as she stared unbelievingly at the corgi currently facing her.

"Ein!" she screamed estactically and kneeling (dropping the paper and the sandwich in the process) held her arms out to the little short legged dog in front of her. Ein trotted over to his friend and into her arms, giving her a lick on the face for good measure. Ed was on the verge of tears as the door opened again and her manager, a skinny little shred of a man with huge glasses and a thin moustache, came outside to see what all the ruckus was about. "Françoise," he said quietly and rather sourly, "What is this about?" "I found my Ein!" she exclaimed with her trademark grin "He's been missing and I'm so happy to see him!" Then she giggled, causing the manager to frown petulantly at her as if she were useless. The lady in the blue polka dotted dress, however, shared none of her sentiments. "Get this little _mongrel_ away from me, or I'll sue! Dogs don't belong in cafes!" Ed's (or was it Françoise's?) manager blushed and began to stutter apology after apology to the woman. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, it'll never ever happen again, will it Françoise?" he mumbled, glaring at Edward who was currently holding Ein protectively away from the woman.

"Of course not," she said in the most regal of manners, and turned on her heels to walk resolutely down the street. "Where do you think you're going, young lady!" the manager screamed, eyes bulging out of his head, hand wiping his brow frantically. "Home," she called over her shoulder and never looked back.

Once her things (and Ein) were packed into her second hand monopod, Edward took off and left the city behind her, and Françoise as well. She punched in some coordinates and high tailed it for Ganymede, where she knew someone would be waiting for her.

"Do you think Jet-person will be happy to see Ed and Ein?" she asked the dog, perched comfortably in her lap. Ein cocked his head to the side as if in thought, then barked as if to say yes. Grinning, Ed leaned back and stroked the soft fur of his back, unaware of the things swirling around in his head.

_He'll be happy to see us, Ed,_ the dog thought, before settling in to take a nap. _He, and Faye, and the new baby, too._

Ed, of course wouldn't know any of this until a few days later, when she landed in Ganymede and found the Bebop, and with it Jet and Faye and their daughter Spiegel. But Ein knew, because Ein had found them before he came back to Ed.

Ein had left Ed, not because he didn't want to be with her, but because he wanted to find home.

**Okay, so tell me what you think about that one.**

**R and R, please.**

**BB**


End file.
